SUMMARY
- Frances Tiafoe shared his viewpoints on why tennis is the most brutal sport in the world.
- Fans rallied to support Frances Tiafoe's views on the challenges of playing tennis.
Frances Tiafoe has been competing on the ATP tour for quite some time now. He turned professional a decade ago and is one of the most active senior players in the US. Tiafoe is currently the third-highest-ranked player in his country. After completing ten years on the tour, he has spoken about the difficulty level of the sport.
Tiafoe, while speaking to Tennis TV, explained why he felt that tennis is one of the hardest sports around. He said that the ball is very small compared to other sports. Tiafoe mentioned hand-eye coordination and said, “There’s no clock, it’s not a timed sport, and there are uncontrollable movements, from side to side and up and down.” He said it was a lonely sport.
View this post on Instagram
The fans couldn’t agree more with Tiafoe’s perspective. One fan commented, “It’s an individual sport that requires peak athleticism AND skill. Nothing tops it.” Another fan said the physical and mental demands of the sport were huge. The fan said, “Tennis is physically grueling, mentally frustrating, so yea fair argument.” Tiafoe’s views were supported by the fans.
The fans also put forth the traveling aspect of the game. One of the fans who had read the autobiographies of the top players in the world said the sacrifices were a lot, as their social lives were affected. Players have often talked about traveling for 11 months in a season and not getting enough rest on tour.
A deep dive into the complexities of the tennis world
The sport of tennis has seen various changes over the years. The revolution of the tennis ball is itself historical. The game requires a lot of skills and techniques to master. Players begin by learning to rally and control the ball’s momentum on the court. It takes years to enter the professional tour. Players learn to deal with failures early on.
After entering the ATP or WTA tour, most players struggle financially, as only the top players receive strong backing. Sponsorships are also provided to the top players, as the lower-ranked players do not get much exposure. The expenditure on travel, coaching, and medical facilities further put the players under pressure to perform well.
ESPN ranked the degree of difficulty for 60 different sports from hardest to easiest.
Do you agree with the list? pic.twitter.com/t0skQ2NA7c
— DraftKings (@DraftKings) June 4, 2023
Physical survival on the tour is stressful, as without proper rest, the body tends to get injured more. Once on the court, hand-eye coordination is vital, as there are various techniques to handle the balls. The players will also have to get used to the three surfaces in the sport. The ball travels at different speeds, and there are bounce variations on clay, hard, and grass courts.
Players will have to continuously adapt to the change in surfaces as it happens throughout the season. It takes a lot of mental strength to keep on playing the game for years. Playing the sport for years takes a toll on the mental health of the player, as there are a lot of factors that come into play. The sport is indeed tricky, and it continues to push the limits of the players.
